Growing up my version of Christmas was very different than a lot of people I knew. While Christmas was about the Savior in our home, how we celebrated was a little extravagant. Many put up a tree, lights, nativities, and reindeer around their homes to show their Christmas spirit. My family liked to show their spirit with 10+ trees, 100+ nativities, and countless reindeer and Santa Claus figurines in the house. To some, this may have been seen as extreme, but to me this was Christmas, it truly wasn't the Holiday Season without all the decorations. Since I was a toddler this was a tradition that the Riphenburg family has carried on to this day. Now that I am on my own with my own family this tradition stills follows me. I am not as extreme as my family growing up was, but my husband always has to remind me to tone it down.
Traditions are defined as being "inherited patterns of belief of behavior". Each family has several traditions big or small that may be unique to their family. Traditions can be very beneficial for a family structure, Susan Lieberman agreed with this saying "Family traditions counter alienation and confusion. They help us define who we are; they provide something steady, reliable and safe in a confusing world." They can create stability, a sense of familiarity, and reinforce values. And really who doesn't want something we can count on as being safe and reliable in this world today? I am definitely one who thrives on consistency which is probably why I love traditions so much.
I have been trying to think of traditions that my husband and I have in our own marriage, and my mind was completely blank. Then I started to realize there are so many little things that we do that can be considered to be a tradition. Some of these things include saying a prayer before meals, giving each other a hug before leaving, saying "I love you" before we hang up on the phone, and making breakfast together every Sunday morning. Sometimes I think it is easy to dismiss some of these things as being minuscule. But in reality, these things are much more important than I tend to remember.
Sometimes I wonder if the traditions that my husband I have are good traditions when it comes to uplifting ourselves in life and in our faith. Cheryl C. Lant, the Primary General President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in 2008 asked: "How should we determine what our traditions will be?" She went on to answer this saying
"The scriptures give us a great pattern. In Mosiah 5:15 it states, “Therefore, I would that ye should be steadfast and immovable, always abounding in good works.” I love this because we know that traditions are formed over time as we repeat the same actions over and over again. As we are steady and unchanging in doing that which is good, our traditions become firmly rooted in righteousness."
Cheryl C. Lant's statement has helped me answer my question about my own traditions. As my husband and I put our emphasis on doing good our traditions can become "firmly rooted in righteousness." Our tradition of playing Minecraft once a week together might not necessarily be someones first thought of "doing good". But in our marriage, it is something light-hearted that we do together on a consistent basis. This is a tradition that has helped us grow closer and surprisingly to learn a lot about each other.
You don't have to decorate every inch of your house for Christmas for it to be considered a tradition. It doesn't even need to be something that everyone else views as a traditional tradition. My only advice would be is to be consistent and to make sure your goal is to do good. Doing good could be to instill values in children, make memories as a family, to grow closer as husband and wife, or so much more. When it comes to forming your own family traditions, make them your own!
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